The manual is a sacred thing among car people. More of an annoyance to everyone else.
Fair enough, anyone who’s been stuck in rush hour for an hour in a manual will also be question the reason for its existence.
Connecting car and driver, in such a raw and engaged way however, is the main game of the manual. Some say a relic of a bygone era, others say the last bastion of what it means to ‘drive’. Most people would say that this is all a bit dramatic.
Moving on…
What is a manual transmission?
A manual transmission is a mechanical and friction based connection between the engine and wheels. Using a clutch, clutch pedal, gear set, gear shifter, linkages and fluids.
It is an engineering solution to the need to change gears to suit driving requirements. Because your engine only rotates at a set range of RPM, it needs a way to roll the wheels and disengage the wheels when the speed is too slow.
How does a manual transmission work?
There is a flywheel that is bolted to the engine. It spins at the engine’s speed. The clutch pedal when not pressed, will force the clutch up against the flywheel and spin. This then transfers the spinning energy to the selected gear and spins the gear. The spinning gear then spins an output shaft that it is connected to via the selector fork.
The output shaft, outputs the engine’s rotational energy to the differential.
The need for a clutch is that when the wheels can’t be rotated, like when stopped, the engine needs to continue to rotate to remain running. Or else it will stall.
So the clutch disengages the whole transmission and differential from the engine. So the wheels can be stopped and the engine keep running.
Do I need to service a manual transmission?
There are components to a manual transmission that will need to be serviced. Things like clutches, linkages and fluids will need to be serviced at their allotted intervals.
Because your clutch works as a friction plate, it undergoes a lot of heat cycles, wear and tear etc. In order to keep your car fully operational, it’s important to keep your manual transmission as pristine as your engine.
Where can I get a manual transmission serviced?
Most mechanics will be able to take good care of your manual’s maintenance without too much hassle.
“But where do I find a good mechanic?”
Good question, how about right here? We can take all the stress out of your car’s perfect maintenance. Just click the link and get working, at keeping your car working.